THE SET-UP: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10 is a lot like 9/11. Speaking at a memorial service at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, Gabbard used the coincidental timing of Kirk’s murder to make a portentous connection:
“They were both carried out by those who hold on to ideologies that cannot stand up to scrutiny and challenge, so they feel that their only recourse is to commit an act of violence to silence those who oppose them. And to intimidate and to terrorize others into silence. This is the definition of terrorism.”
Gabbard’s rhetorical flourish must have been sparked by grief and anger. Surely she doesn’t mean to imply that now, like then, we find ourselves on the cusp of a War on Terror that threatens to upend due process, violate basic constitutional protections and trigger a cascade of unintended consequences that will reverberate for two decades.
Obviously, Gabbard—who originally made her name as a harsh critic of the Global War On Terror’s unintended consequences—knows full-well what a Domestic War On Terror would entail and how the color-coded specter of “radical Islamic terrorism” was used and abused during the Global War On Terror.
But then today Vice President J.D. Vance got behind a microphone to guest-host Charlie Kirk’s podcast. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller joined him to “pay tribute” to a friend. It quickly became a soft-launch of the National War On Terror ominously previewed by Gabbard on Sunday.
According to The New York Times, Miller promised “a formal effort” to root out what he characterized as a “domestic terror movement.”
“With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, eliminate and destroy this network and make America safe again for the American people.”
We’ve heard Miller shout-out similar things before. This is not that. Like DNI Gabbard, Deputy Chief of Staff Miller is speaking as a real government official with real power about a real policy decision that, as The Times also reported, is really happening:
On Monday, two senior administration officials, who spoke anonymously to describe the internal planning, said that cabinet secretaries and federal department heads were working to identify organizations that funded or supported violence against conservatives. The goal, they said, was to categorize left-wing activity that led to violence as domestic terrorism, an escalation that critics said could lay the groundwork for crushing anti-conservative dissent more broadly.
This is serious, folks.
Miller promised (threatened) to “channel all of the anger that we have over the organized campaign that led to this assassination to uproot and dismantle these terrorist networks.”
Terrorist networks?
As we know all-too well, the truth is whatever Trump says it is and facts are fully fungible. Anything can and likely will be labeled “terror” or "terrorism” or part of a “terrorist network.” Anyone or any organization that has opposed Trump is a likely suspect. “Radical Islamic Terrorists” could easily be replaced by “Radical Left Lunatics” in a new “See Something, Say Something” campaign. Really, “Leftist” can be used to describe tens of millions of Americans. And the people in charge of making these determinations—Kash Patel, Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard and the entire Mos Eisley crew of Trump loyalists—are poised to replicate all the excesses of the Global War On Terror with nothing but US District Court judges standing in their way. And they may only be able to delay the inevitable 6-3 split awaiting Trump in the Supreme Court.
Frankly, Gabbard might be right. This could be the beginning of a Domestic War On Terror with millions of Americans subject to searches of their social media posts as they “root out” the enemy … an enemy Trump has repeatedly told us is in his crosshairs. He made it clear during the campaign that America’s greatest enemy is “the enemy from within.” He even suggested using the US military to clean up messy Americans who disagree with him. When critics protested, they were accused of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Now a little gaslighting is the least of their worries. - jp
JD Vance Encourages National Doxing in Wild Ending to Kirk Podcast
https://newrepublic.com/post/200475/jd-vance-national-doxxing-charlie-kirk-podcast
Florida Republican asks constituents for tips on those celebrating Kirk’s death
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5503838-charlie-kirk-florida-randy-fine/
House Republican says people celebrating Charlie Kirk's death 'must be thrown out of civil society'
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-says-people-celebrating-charlie-kirks-death-must-thrown-out-civil-society
Republican Kentucky lawmaker wants UofL employee fired over Charlie Kirk post
https://kentuckylantern.com/2025/09/15/kentucky-gop-lawmaker-says-uofl-should-fire-employee-after-she-posted-charlie-kirk-quote/
Iowa lawmakers call for termination of ISU employees for online comments on Charlie Kirk
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/15/iowa-lawmakers-call-for-termination-of-isu-employees-for-online-comments-on-charlie-kirk/
Oklahoma schools chief threatens to ban teachers over ‘disgusting attacks’ on Charlie Kirk
https://oklahomavoice.com/2025/09/15/oklahoma-schools-chief-threatens-to-ban-teachers-over-disgusting-attacks-on-charlie-kirk/
Central Florida teachers under investigation over social media posts following Charlie Kirk’s death
https://www.cfpublic.org/education/2025-09-15/central-florida-teachers-under-investigation-over-social-media-posts-following-charlie-kirks-death
Las Virgenes Unified employee placed on leave after social media post about Charlie Kirk killing
https://abc7.com/post/las-virgenes-unified-employee-placed-leave-social-media-post-charlie-kirk-killing/17821682/
2 more Massachusetts teachers put on leave over Charlie Kirk social media posts
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/massachusetts-teachers-peabody-charlie-kirk-posts/
Two fired from Cumberland University over ‘inappropriate’ comments about Charlie Kirk assassination
https://www.wsmv.com/2025/09/12/two-fired-cumberland-university-over-inappropriate-comments-about-charlie-kirks-assassination/
Austin Peay professor fired for Charlie Kirk comments, amid other Tennessee firings
https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2025/09/15/austin-peay-darren-michael-fired-charlie-kirk/86159781007/
Clemson fires employee, suspends professors for social media posts mocking death of Charlie Kirk
https://scdailygazette.com/2025/09/15/clemson-fires-employee-suspends-professors-for-social-media-posts-mocking-death-of-charlie-kirk/
Texas student arrested after mocking Charlie Kirk’s death at vigil
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2025/09/15/texas-student-arrested-after-mocking-charlie-kirks-death-at-vigil-1585042/
Milwaukee childcare employee fired after social media post about Charlie Kirk's death
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/09/13/second-employee-in-wisconsin-fired-over-charlie-kirk-social-media-post/86139538007/
Hospital fires healthcare worker for controversial Charlie Kirk social media post
https://www.foxnews.com/health/hospital-fires-healthcare-worker-controversial-charlie-kirk-social-media-post
American Airlines pilots 'removed from service' over posts on Charlie Kirk shooting, U.S. Transportation Secretary says
https://www.wfaa.com/article/travel/american-airlines-pilots-removed-from-service-over-posts-charlie-kirk-shooting-transportation-secretary-says/287-6ec2240f-8dfc-4722-8996-e1c5de8e4e41
Airlines suspend workers for posts about shooting of Charlie Kirk
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/14/us/airlines-suspend-workers
Perkins Coie lawyer is out of a job, apparently because of post criticizing Charlie Kirk after his shooting death
https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/perkins-coie-lawyer-is-out-of-a-job-after-post-criticizing-charlie-kirks-politics-after-his-shooting-death
Durham police chief faces scrutiny for deleted post about Charlie Kirk
https://www.wral.com/news/local/durham-police-chief-scrutiny-deleted-post-charlie-kirk-september-2025/
Florida wildlife employee fired over social media post that ‘made light’ of Charlie Kirk assassination
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/florida/2025/09/15/florida-wildlife-employee-fired-over-social-media-post-that-made-light-of-charlie-kirk-assassination/
Alleged Free Speech Champions Are Campaigning Against Speech They Don’t Like
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/charlie-kirk-firings-free-speech/
“Martyrdumb”. — indeed